The growth of peer to peer (P2P) networks and their use for distributing content, such as music, video and graphic files, has been considerable in recent years. P2P networks allow each computer on the network to equally share its resources, and each computer can act as both a server and a client. P2P networks do not generally require a centralised server, that may act as a resource sharer or file server, and typically no computer has more control over the network than any other. Whilst it is difficult to administer and monitor activity on such networks, they have the advantage that users are generally free to trade content files without reference to any administration or authority system. The networks are established by each of the participating computers running a P2P client, such as the Morpheus (http://www.morpheus.com), Limeware (http://www.limeware.com), BearShare (http://www.bearshare.com), Kazaa (http://www.kazaa.com), and Grokster (http://www.grokster.com) clients, for the respective networks of the same name. The clients all use a P2P protocol, such as Gnutella (http://www.gnutella.com), to establish connections to the P2P network, normally using TCP/IP and IP connections to the Internet.
Whilst the P2P networks are popular for content distribution, they have also been widely criticised for facilitating the distribution of content, particularly music and films, without the authority of the owners or licensees of the copyright in that content, and more particularly without any benefit returning to the owner or creator of the content. The P2P networks have therefore been derided as being networks for trading unauthorised or pirate content, and participants have been the subject of extensive litigation by content owners and publishers (http://www.P2Punited.org, http://www.riaa.org, http://www.mpaa.org).
In view of the above, it is desired to provide at least a useful alternative or a content distribution system that encourages decentralised content distribution and also provides a process whereby participating parties and content owners and creators can be remunerated.